TKIZ's impossibly brilliant all new Transfer Rumours thread

[Bruce Rioja]

Cardiff have released Jay Bothroyd because he's shite.

[seanworth]

Vaughn has been a very important player for Blackpool this season and I believe won their player of the year. He has largely been in the shadow for Adam.

[Lord Kangana]

Olofinjana also released back to Hull, might provide cheap cover for midfield. In addition to others, naturally.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Cardiff have released Jay Bothroyd because he's shite.

I saw a game at the Cardiff City Stadium in February. Bothroyd wasn't bad, by any means, but the home side fair sparked into life when Burke came on. Hassling, harrying and possessing a very good cross, he dragged them toward the late winner (by Olofinjana, funnily enough LK). I'm not throwing myself at the first available right-winger but I certainly wouldn't be upset if we were in the frame.

[David Lee's Hair]

Was in Swansea this weekend and the word on the street in South Wales is that Cardiff are completely in dickies meadow, expecting a Leeds-esq financial collapse, so you maybe able to get anyone from there cheap.

[mullayo]

Did Bellamy bankrupt them? Who've Cardiff got?

I've read on here we're linked with Darren Pratley from Swansea on a free and Rhys Williams from Boro for $3m.

Swansea forums say it's just Darren Prat. because he takes too many pratfalls and hasn't been committed since his contractual wrangle began at the beginning of the season. Which for me could be a worrying character concern or a reaction to the booing he's been getting.

Boro fans are vice-versa and love the versatile Williams to bits but say he's wasted as right back. I can't figure if they prefer him at centre back or in the midfield somewhere. Apparently very cultured, they compare him to Beckenbauer. Although he's actually Australian but was eligible for Wales, England and India as well.

Is there one site for all the released players so I can pore over it?

[Lord Kangana]

Was talking to a Boro fan two weeks ago who says we should sign Williams because:

A) He's very good
B) They desperately need the money.

The footnote I will add is that the guy thought Wheater was an excellent defender. So thats the bar he set. He did however say he thought Williams would be better. Sounds reasonable to me at £3m.

[Bruce Rioja]

Did Bellamy bankrupt them?

Aren't City paying Bellamy's wage?

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Did Bellamy bankrupt them?

Aren't City paying Bellamy's wage?

Pretty much. Bellamy won't be bleeding them dry. Cardiff face a kind of existential ennui at being play-off nearly-men (seventh, fourth and fourth in the last three seasons); there are those who wish to rip it up and start again, and there are plenty in Swansea who would love to watch that happen, so I'd take that whisper with a pinch of salt. Doing a gig in Cardiff next weekend, so I'll see what I can hear (synaesthesia) . But as we're playing the squad-list game, there's not an awful lot I'd look at bar Burke and Bothroyd; maybe Kevin McNaughton, for his defensive versatility, but not much else stands out.

[wanderers_on_tour]

That Burke's also available on a free according to sky sports news (sorry if someone's beaten me to it )

[Verbal]

Scott Dann and/or Roger Johnson would be nice.

i'm just throwing names out there now. I'll stop.

[bw@bw]

Did Bellamy bankrupt them?

Aren't City paying Bellamy's wage?

Pretty much. Bellamy won't be bleeding them dry. Cardiff face a kind of existential ennui at being play-off nearly-men (seventh, fourth and fourth in the last three seasons); there are those who wish to rip it up and start again, and there are plenty in Swansea who would love to watch that happen, so I'd take that whisper with a pinch of salt. Doing a gig in Cardiff next weekend, so I'll see what I can hear (synaesthesia) . But as we're playing the squad-list game, there's not an awful lot I'd look at bar Burke and Bothroyd; maybe Kevin McNaughton, for his defensive versatility, but not much else stands out.

IIRC Cardiff tried to break the record for the number of loan players this season.

They have a new ground to pay for - and virtually no players of their own.

The Leeds scenario reference may be because of the Ridsdale connection.

Its a real mess.

[Prufrock]

Burke has been wank every time I've seen him, and not rated by Cardiff supporting mate. And I've been pilloried for it before, and no doubt again, but, especially on a free, I'd have Bothroyd in a heartbeat. A million miles better than Nugent anyway!

[Tombwfc]

It has to be one or the other though. The thought of replacing Sturridge and Elmander (20 goals last season) with Nugent and Bothroyd (12 PL goals ever between them) makes me feel a bit ill.

I'm not opposed to either on their own though. That said, strikers who've been shit everywhere else and then suddenly become good at one club worry me (Bothroyd, DJ Campbell).

I'd rather have Seb Larsson than Burke, although the fact he's on a free will likely mean he'll price himself above what he's actually worth.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Another thing: Burke's Scottish. So he's bound to play brilliantly for Coyle, and also against every other Scottish manager just to prove himself - so that's six points each off Norwich, Blackburn, Everton, Liverpool and Man U. 30 easy points.

[Lord Kangana]

How many players do we actually need, rather than want?

Out of the list of released players, JLo and JOB haven't actually played for us this season (have they even made the bench?), Cohen has only appeared a handful of times, same with Gardner. Blake has appeared about 4 times, and admittedly scored a good freekick, but he's hardly been indispensable, unless the rumours of his dressing room bonhomie are to be believed.

If Sean Davis is fit for the summer (is he?) then surely, even if he's not back to his best, he can cover a place on the bench with the odd cameo?

The real test will come in replacing Elmander, and Cahill if he goes. Which looks likely. And, as seems increasingly likely, Alonso. Which is a bit of a kick in the teeth after spending money on him. And also bringing in a 4th midfielder, replacing Rodrigo and Sturridge's loans. If Al Habsi goes, we still have 2 more than capable keepers. There should be a decent level of income from his and Cahill's transfers, and by my reckoning, over £100k/week off the wage budget.

So....

As I see it, we'll need a new centre half, centre forward and a defensive cover. Add in a couple of young (attacking?) loans and a 4th midfielder, and we're pretty much where we are now.

So if we can pick up a couple of free agents of a decent calibre, we could even improve the situation.

[thebish]

I think it will be very interesting to see which way Coyle jumps over the summer.

The received wisdom is that he favours players who could boast one or more of the following descriptors...

young, exciting prospect, attacking, pacey, with potential, something to prove

It is kind-of assumed that he is a "team-builder" - in the sense that he values the synergetic sum-of-the-parts over the individual talent...

BUT

Ian Holloway he is not - in that I don't think he will rely SOLELY on guts/adrenalin/do-or-die/all-pull-together

I suspect Coyle is a Holloway with an added experience-tested belief that you can only get so far with enthusiasm - and that to survive in the Premiership you also have to have a golden thread of actual talent.

so - (as always) DSB is on the money - but I certainly wouldn't rule out at least one high-wage established "star" - perhaps on a bosman.... surrounded with a clutch of loanees, promising championship players and overseas starlets just off the teat....

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

How many players do we actually need, rather than want? (...) As I see it, we'll need a new centre half, centre forward and a defensive cover. Add in a couple of young (attacking?) loans and a 4th midfielder, and we're pretty much where we are now.

True, those are the priorities. But even then I see a dangerous lack of right-wing alternatives (not you, Nick Griffin).

There's also another layer, though. Cohen/Gardner/JOB/JLS didn't get many games not just because they weren't fit, but because they weren't fit for purpose. It's plainly obvious that they were last-ditch options, and surely any manager would want more reliable alternatives, even if he's happy with his first XI.

Nowhere is this more pertinent than those overworked central two. Sean Davis might be the fourth central midfielder; we'd be relying on four central midfielders who have had injury questions: serious (Sean D), acute (Holden), chronic (Mavis) and niggling (Muamba). That said, should we just get a fifth midfielder at the risk of paying somebody to sit in the stands when fit? Probably not. I'd guess he'd lean more toward the sort of player who could play central or wide - as, arguably, Mavis could.

[Lord Kangana]

Whats Gary O'Neill up to these days? And isn't Reo Coker out of contract at Villa?

I don't know whether they're available, in our price range, or indeed want to come. But if we were capable of signing a couple of players like that, and say a young loanee from the top 5/6, surely our midfield would be far stronger next time out than this?

After all, if we add Cahill's and Al Habsi's income and wages to the 6 already off the wage budget, unless we're radically realigning the wage structure, there must be plenty in there for some decent players, no?

[TKIZ!]

Reo-Coker is out of contract but has been playing. This one will depend on who they appoint as manager